YOUNG members of the Upper Wharfedale Field Society Young Explorers Group carried out a presentation of their past year's work to an appreciative audience at the Octagon Theatre in Grassington.

The children, who all go to Cracoe and Rylstone CoE Primary School, have spent the last year exploring the outdoors and taking a closer look at everything from trees and flowers to soil, fungi and worms.

Jo Prowse, who leads the field society's young explorers group, said: "Their performance, entitled ‘The Circles of Life’, gave a flavour of all the work they have undertaken over the past year with members of the field society, detailing their investigations into fungi, soil, worms, rocks, flowers, trees, butterflies, moths, insects and bees.

"They were supported by their teacher, Glenda Cumberland and field society members, Christine Bell, Win Clements and Marg Smith who gave more detail about the work involved building wormeries, doing wild flower surveys, using a moth trap, doing fungi forays and identification."

The pupils also learnt about bees and have been helped by Laurie Prowse to process all the honey from the school hive. Bird watching for pupils is planned for the Spring and also, training in bee-keeping.

The collaboration between the Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation of schools, which also includes Burnsall, Grassington and Kettlewell schools, and the Upper Wharfedale Field Society has been a huge success and will be further developed this year, said Mrs Prowse.

She said: “I have been totally impressed by the dedication and enjoyment displayed by all the pupils, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve this coming year.”

The Upper Wharfedale Field Society includes special interest groups in areas including archaeology, botany, geology and local history. Its walking group also organises monthly walks within a 30-mile radius of Grassington. The walks are between seven and nine miles long and take place on the third Saturday of the month throughout the year.

The next event of the field society is due to take place at 7.30pm on March 13 at the Octagon Theatre, Grassington, when Dr Ian Adams will talk on the 'Victorian passion for terracotta'. Entry is free for members, and £3 for non members, payable on the door. Annual membership for the field society is £20. Free refreshments will be on offer.

Further information about the Upper Wharfedale Field Society and the Young Explorers Group can be found at: www.uwfs.org.uk or by emailing secretary@ufws.org.uk